


Punch At First Sight

by annjellybean



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fluff and Humor, M/M, Some Humor, kyungsoo is the real mvp of this fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-09
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-06-24 14:41:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15632754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annjellybean/pseuds/annjellybean
Summary: ...i'm bad at summaries y'all sorry uwu but this is based onthisprompt





	Punch At First Sight

**Author's Note:**

> whoop whoop!! y'all know it's that time of year where i write my girl a taoris fic for her birthday. i will apologize in advance, this is probably really bad (not probably it is so im sorry). but if you read and enjoy it, bless your soul. 
> 
> klara babes, you deserve better, like a+ quality writing not this mediocre writing lmao but i hope you know i wrote it with lots of love just for you, happy birthday and i love you pls enjoy!
> 
> p.s please excuse mistakes this ain't edited lmao

It’s a little over half past midnight, and Tao does realize it’s a bit late to be at the gym. However, today hadn’t been the best of days. Starting with oversleeping (and _almost_ missing his first class, as well as not having enough time to pass by his favorite coffee shop to grab himself his daily dose of caffeine), he’d failed a pop quiz in his music theory class, and had been partnered with an annoying overly-chatty girl for the class’ upcoming project.

 

Arguing with his father was just the cherry on top of this god awful day which is why he found himself in his apartment complex’s gym with fat droplets of sweat trickling off of the ends of his bangs and on to the padded floor while he angrily abused a punching bag.  

 

His music blares through the tiny speakers of his headphones and he loses track of time and the amount of blows he serves the punching bag.

 

He’s in the middle of landing an uppercut blow when a large hand clamps over his shoulder. Startled by the suddenness of it, Tao screams and turns, landing a punch on pure instinct on an unsuspecting individual right smack in the center of their face.  

 

Tao watches in horror as a tall young man staggers backwards, his face contorting as he clutches his nose with both of his hands doubling over and presumably yelling out in pain.

 

 _“OH MY GOD_ —oh my—god, I am so, so sorry _”_ Tao sputters removing the headphones from his ears and taking a hesitant step towards the stranger. “Are you—uhm, are you okay?”

 

Still clutching his face, the young man straightens and glares at him, “ _no_ I am not _okay,_ you just _punched_ me in the face!” he exclaims, his voice a little nasally from the pressure. Tao’s eyes double in size when he realizes exactly who he just punched in the face.

 

It’s no one other than the cute guy with the nice smile and thick eyebrows from across the hall—the one he runs into almost every morning on his way to uni and exchanges pleasant ‘good mornings’ with when he’s not too busy staring at the screen of his phone.

 

“Again—I’m really sorry about that!” he reiterates, “It was an accident, you startled me” Tao says a bit defensively, his brows furrowing.

 

“Well I wouldn’t have scared you if your music hadn’t been so damn loud you didn’t hear me call out to you several times—didn’t know how else to get your attention” his neighbor accuses finally lowering his hands from his face.

 

Tao breathes in a sigh of relief when there’s no sign of blood.

“Maybe, walk in front of me rather than sneak up behind me. You can’t blame me for acting on instinct” Tao countered trying to keep his voice leveled, growing increasingly frustrated—it’s not like he _meant_ to punch the guy, and it was basically his fault (though Tao doesn’t say so)

 

“I didn’t _sneak_ up—you know what, doesn’t matter. Groundskeeper said he’s closing up the gym in ten minutes so he asked us to pack it up and head home” without another word, his neighbor turns on his heel and heads towards the gym exit.

 

“Don’t forget to ice that!” Tao yells after him, his neighbor doesn’t acknowledge him and carries on his path back home. Tao rolls back shoulders and groans.

 

So much for blowing off steam.

☽ ☾

 

 The following morning greets Tao with the usual chirping birds and bright sunlight streaming through his powder blue thin curtains. He rubs the sleep out of his eyes and sighs as he lets his arms fall from his face and plop down on his bed-sheets with a soft thud.

 

He peeps at his bedside table and sees that it’s only seven fifteen—he’s up a whole hour and a half before his usual alarm goes off. Given that he doesn’t have any morning classes on thursdays, he usually sleeps in till eleven—any other day he’d be peeved at waking up so early. Today however, he has an hour and forty five minutes to get showered and dressed, head over to his favorite coffee shop to grab himself two large coffees and head back home to try and apologize _properly_ to his cute—albeit a little frustratingly annoying—neighbor.

 

Hopping out of bed, Tao grabs his towel and rushes towards the bathroom past a very frazzled looking Kyungsoo.

 

“Tao?” Kyungsoo quizzes, “why’re you up so early?”

 

“Got a few things to take care of” Tao explains pausing in the middle of the hallway to answer his friend.

 

Kyungsoo hums noncommittally, then looks up at him guiltily, “hey sorry, you usually aren’t up at this time on thursdays, so I didn’t make any extra breakfast. I’m also running late, so I can’t whip you up anything quick”

“That’s alright Soo, I’ll grab a croissant from the coffee shop or something. Thanks though, now go, don’t want to keep you any longer” Tao grins pinching Kyungsoo’s cheek which earns him a stinging slap and an eye roll from his friend.

 

“Please behave! Stay safe, and have a nice day! And make sure you eat something! Coffee is not a proper source of food!” Kyungsoo yells (read: nags) as he exits their apartment.

 

Tao shakes his head fondly before returning to his previous task at hand and jumps into the shower.

 

Pairing one of his favorite black cardigans with a baby blue t-shirt and washed out black jeans, in no less than thirty five minutes, Tao’s managed to shower, style his hair and pick a decent enough outfit. He grabs his keys and heads out the door, hastily making his way to Universe Cafe.

☽ ☾

 

“You _punched_ him in the face?” Junmyeon exclaims as he takes Tao’s card.

 

“Right smack in the center of his beautiful, perfectly sculpted face” Tao bemoans draping himself over the counter. Junmyeon offers him sympathetic pat on the head, then hands him his card and receipt.

 

“Should've offered to take him back to your place and  nurse him back to health” Sehun pipes in suggestively, wiggling his brows obnoxiously from the other side where he’s brewing Tao’s coffees.

 

Junmyeon makes an awkward gurgling sound and turns to glare at Sehun in scandalized outrage.

 

“Trust me” Tao says, “I would’ve had I not feared he’d punch me right back” he sighs and straightening up when the doorbell jingles and Junmyeon shoos him away to make way for the next costumer.

 

“You guys are unbelievable” Junmyeon scoffs under his breath, then turns to the impatient looking middle aged woman approaching them, “Welcome to Cafe Universe, how may I help you today?”

 

Tao rolls his eyes and moves over towards the stool seating area right around the corner from the cash register and waits patiently for his coffees.

“Jongdae’s working on your croissants out back, they’ll be out soon” Sehun tells him as he places his coffees on the counter.

 

Tao offers him a smile and a thanks before Sehun heads over to prepare more drinks.

 

“I heard you punched your boyfriend in the face” Jongdae says as he approaches Tao and plants a brown bag in front of him.

 

“You mean you were _eavesdropping_ ” Tao muses, Jongdae grins and shrugs.

 

“S’not like you’re particularly quiet” Jongdae snickers, “pretty sure everyone in the near vicinity heard your sad and tragic story”

 

“You’re annoying, I’m leaving” Tao sniffs then grabs his belongings before sliding off of his stool.

 

“At least _I_ didn’t punch my crush in the nose” Jongdae cackles, and if Tao could flip him off, he would have.

 

“Tao, wait a second will you?” Junmyeon calls after him as he hands a mom with her kid her change and receipt. He smiles at her then scurries over to where the pastries are in full display. He pulls out a mille-feuille, wraps it in pastry sheet then stuffs it in a paper bag handing it over to Tao. “Kyungsoo texted me earlier that you’d be by and hadn’t had breakfast. He thought you might not actually follow through on getting an actual breakfast so he made me promise I’d give you at least a pastry to accompany your coffee with. He paid already, so”

 

Tao shakes his head, a fond smile on his face. He takes the pastry gladly thanking Junmyeon then hurries back home. He has less than thirty minutes to get back home before his neighbor has leaves for work.

☽ ☾

 

Tao stands in front of his neighbor’s front door, suddenly feeling a little stupid and more than a little self-conscious. What if he was still mad and ended up slamming the door right in Tao’s face? What if he laughed at him, _then_ slammed the door in his face?

 

Shaking his head to rid himself of anymore ridiculous bad thoughts, Tao squares his shoulders, then knocks once, twice _maybe_ thrice on his neighbor’s door. He waits a few seconds, then a few minutes (though it feels like hours) when finally the door swings open revealing a sleep mussed, shirtless and boxer clad neighbor. His hair is sticking up in all directions, and he’s blinking blearily at Tao.

 

“I uhm—sorry if I woke you. Shouldn’t you be getting ready for work, or something?” Tao asks slightly tilting his head to the side.

 

“Or something” his sleepy neighbor mumbles, “took the day off. Nose is bruised, and hurts too much—too tender to put makeup over it” he explains and Tao cringes at the big purple bruise decorating his neighbor’s nose.

 

“God, I’m sorry” Tao sighs letting his head fall forward, “I bought you some breakfast to make up for it. Here!” he exclaims perking up and handing him a coffee cup and a bag with a toasty warm ham, egg and cheese croissant.

 

“You didn’t have to—”

 

“It’s okay, I wanted too”

 

His neighbor offers him one of those rare shy but kind smiles he always shoots him in the mornings on on their way down in the elevator, and takes the coffee and paper bag from him.

 

“Thank you—”

 

“Zitao—or Tao” Tao blushes.

 

“I know—I’m Yifan, by the way—if you were wondering” his neighbor, _Yifan_ , says his ears reddening a bit. Tao bites his lip to keep from grinning, and instead offers him a smile.

 

“Yifan—wait, you knew my name?”

 

“Your—well your boyfriend?” Yifan asks, “I’ve heard him call out to you several times in the mornings I leave earlier”

 

“Boyfriend?” Tao asks, eyes wide and confused.

 

“The small guy with big eyes and a buzzcut? I actually don’t know _his_ name” Yifan mumbles.

 

“Kyungsoo?”

 

Yifan shrugs, “I guess?”

 

“Kyungsoo isn’t my boyfriend, he’s just my roommate” Tao laughs incredulously.

 

“Oh I just—well I just assumed. He always seems pretty concerned with your behavior and eating habits” Yifan tells him, a blush spreading across his cheeks a clear indication of his embarrassment.

 

“He’s just like that—very caring, likes to mother and nag his friends” Tao jokes, “but anyways, I’ll let you get some rest, sorry for the nose again” Tao begins to turn when Yifan calls out his name.

 

“Would you—I mean, well would you like to come in and have breakfast with me?” Yifan asks.

 

“Oh” Tao blinks several times, then realizes Yifan’s still waiting for an answer, “oh yeah, sure! Uhm, would you like to go and put on some clothes while I go and fetch my breakfast?” Tao asks pressing his lips into a thin line and pointing at Yifan’s bare chest.

 

Yifan’s eyes wander down his body then widen before he slams his apartment door shut.

 

(He opens it right after to peek his head out and tell Tao to just walk in when he’s grabbed his breakfast while he freshens up)

 

**Author's Note:**

> *spirit fingers* how was it? terrible i know, but if you made it this far, you are braver than the u.s marines lmao. ok anyways yeah bye until next year probably lmfaoooo.


End file.
